Should you incorporate choice into your dogs day?
YES! Absolutely! There are countless reasons as to why you should incorporate choice into your dogs life, no matter their age, size or breed. There is of course different levels of choice, as well as appropriate timing for choice, but as a general consensus; YES!
Incorporating choice into your dogs life is not only fun, but it’s a great way to build on your partnership with your dog. If you are able to have a better paternership, that will lead to better communication between you and your dog. Communication and choice can also build trust between you and your dog which will enrich both your life and your dogs..
Choice is mentally, physically and emotionally fulfilling for your dog and, when you allow them to make choices in their training, your dog will become more reliable because they have chosen to do them. Dogs can learn to choose when they are given options. These choices can range anywhere from what colour harness they want to wear, what treat they prefer, which direction they want to walk etc. Choice is something that can be and should be implemented at all ages, however adolescent dogs is where the benefits of choice can be most noticeable. This is because hormone levels are at an all-time high, which causes the brain to become “cloudy” which can lead to poorer judgment calls, and “forgotten cues”. Think of your dog as a human teenager; they are learning to push boundaries and make more life altering decisions, while having to navigate their hormones.
One great thing about adding autonomy into your dogs everyday, is that you will typically see a decrease in “bad” behaviours such as digging, chewing, etc. This is because you will have provided them with an appropriate outlet such as a sandbox for digging, or a frozen kong for chewing. This can help to reduce stress as well which gives you an overall happier dog!
Jen Burrows, CPDT-KA